Judy Henske had already recorded folk for Elektra and pop for Mercury and had a relationship with Woody Allen (allegedly inspiring the titular character in Annie Hall) by the time she teamed with her then husband Jerry Yester (once of The New Christy Minstrels, The Lovin Spoonful and Modern Folk Quartet) for this 1969 spaced oddity. Its not a huge shock to discover Farewell Aldebaran was originally released by Frank Zappas Straight label and executive produced by his manager, Herb Cohen.

Taken as a whole, Farewell Aldebaran is a mad acid-folk-psych curio, somewhere between Jefferson Airplane and Pearls Before Swine, or Linda Perhacs fronting The Pink Floyd. On Snowblind Henske screams and hollers like a female Jim Morrison; Horses On A Stick is all thin, tiny keyboards and string instruments playing distorted sunshine pop, like a lysergic musical box. St. Nicholas Hall is perhaps the albums most initially approachable moment, a biting satire on organised religion joined by what sounds like a Mellotron choir. Three Ravens and the banjo-pickin Raider are more conventionally attired and gently persuasive folk rock, like a Californian Steeleye Span. Theres a rolling, red carpet majesty to Rapture; Charity reaches for, and receives, a heavenly chorus, before morphing into some kinda cosmic sea shanty. The closing title track reminds me, perhaps somewhat unfairly, of the Pigs In Space theme from The Muppet Show, all early Moog action, mystical astronomy and crazy vocal effects.

Radioactives vinyl reissue is a goodie  a numbered, limited edition (of 1,000), pressed on 180g vinyl, with a gatefold sleeve containing lyrics. Somehow, though, despite its many qualities, I cant see Farewell Aldebaran selling out in a hurry.